Rash
"Rash" (real name Dave Shar) is the wisecracking member of the Battletoads and a guest character in Killer Instinct Season 3. He is one of the main characters of the Battletoads series of beat 'em ups created by Rareware, the developers of the original'' Killer Instinct''. His exploits with his fellow toads, Zitz and Pimple, have led them across the galaxy in battles against the evil Dark Queen. Players that owned Killer Instinct or Rare Replay could test out Rash (in his retro skin) ahead of time from August 4th to September 8th, 2015. He would later be released as part of Season 3 in March 2016. Appearance Rash is a large, anthropomorphic toad-like creature with a very muscular build - despite this, he is still the smallest of the Battletoads. He has scaly, green skin with shades of yellow around his torso and face. He has bright blue eyes, warts around his shoulders and arms, and a big mouth full of white teeth. Each of his hands has four fingers, and he retains the amphibious webbed toes of a toad. He wears a pair of black sunglasses, spiked kneepads, and red bandannas around his elbows. Around his waist is the signature Battletoads belt emblazoned with their insignia. He also has a long, extendable toad tongue. Rash, like the other Battletoads, possesses the ability to morph his body into a variety of different shapes in a cartoon manner - this technique is called a Smash Hit. These include simply enlarging his fists to massive sizes, transforming his feet into large spiked boots, maces, and battleaxes, growing curled ram horns out of his head, and even turning his entire body into a wrecking ball. Story According to the original game, the Battletoads were originally three human computer technicians and roommates - Dave Shar (Rash), Morgan Ziegler (Zitz), and George Pie (Pimple). Shar was the show-off and extrovert of the three who loved to crack jokes, his big mouth often getting them in trouble. The trio tested a Battletoads video game by playing the game as the Battletoads in a sort of virtual reality simulation. They eventually became suspicious of their boss, Silas Volkmire, and decided to investigate the office at night. Upon finding the video game unit turned on, they tested it to see if it had been tampered with. This was a trap, transporting Shar, Ziegler, and Pie to a planet in a distant part of the galaxy, permanently transformed into the Battletoads. When the evil Dark Queen attempted to destroy the toads' upon their arrival, they fought their way to freedom with the assistance of Professor T. Bird, who became the toads' friend and mentor. Forgetting Silas for now, the toads decided never to rest until the Dark Queen was defeated once and for all. On a planet far from the Earth, Rash continues to battle against the forces of the Dark Queen. Tired of speed-running the same old thing over and over again, Rash asks Professor Bird if there are any other challenges he could face. Bird claims that he does have a proposition, but it's a little... unusual. Rash accepts the offer and boards their spacecraft, the Vulture, and is transported to the Earth to do battle with the contestants of the Killer Instinct universe, his crazy craving for action soon to be fulfilled. It is currently unknown what Rash's role in the Killer Instinct story will be. As a guest character, it is likely that his appearance in the series is non-canon. Extended Story Music Rash's KI theme "Enter the Battletoad" is composed by Celldweller & Atlas Plug. The fun-loving toad's overall sound is a techno-rock remix of the [https://youtu.be/7kB6OXGVJ0c original Battletoads theme]. The song also contains a mix of vintage melodies from original Battletoads stages (including the Surf City level), inspired Van Halen riffs, and chiptune-inspired sounds in certain parts (primarily including an 8-bit rendition of the KI main theme, "The Instinct"). When both combatants remain idle for a short period while using his theme in any stage, then an upbeat remix of the pause theme from the original Battletoads will begin to play. Quotes Trivia * Rash's victory quote is a reference to his and the other Battletoads' cameo appearances in other titles, such as Banjo-Kazooie: Nuts & Bolts, Rare Replay, and Shovel Knight, despite there not having been a new Battletoads game since 1994. ** However, a successor to the original Battletoads is now slated to be released in 2019. * The beats of Rash's Ultra Combo are based off the pause theme from the original Battletoads. * Rash's "Rarewear" outfit dresses him up with accessories based on other Rare characters, including a Conker hood, Banjo's shorts and backpack straps, a Jiggy tattoo, and a backpack based on the Lord of Games' face. ** Also Rash's Groovy Accessories might be a reference to [http://keroro.wikia.com/wiki/Keroro Keroro's] [http://keroro.wikia.com/wiki/Keroro#Afro_Sergeant Afro Sergeant] appearance from a Japanese anime/manga series Sgt. Frog (Keroro Gunsō) ''since they're both amphibians and wears disco clothes and an afro. *Rash's name is an anagram of Dave Shar's last name, most likely as a nod to further link him and his amphibious avatar. * Curiously, Rash doesn't have his own stage in Killer Instinct, but does have his own theme & can be selected for any stage before a match. ** Interestingly enough, even though Rash technically doesn't have his own stage, when playing Survival Mode he will appear on Kan-Ra's Forbidden Archive. However, the default theme for the arena will play instead of his own. This might also imply that Rash actually shares a stage with another character from the roster (most likely as a placeholder), which is similar to the situation with Omen and Shadow Jago, who both share Shadow Tiger's Lair. * If Rash performs his Stage Ultra in Village of Whispers, he will have the freaked-out reaction from his Time-Out animation when the opponent briefly pops up from the ground again. * Rash is the only character who has two separate taunts. His first taunt will makes him dance faster following the original ''Battletoads theme, and his second taunt which is by pressing (Down+Taunt) ''will makes him dance slower following the pause theme from the original ''Battletoads. ** Also he can repeat his taunt by tapping the (Taunt) while holding the directional button. * Rash's retro color 2 heavily resembles the Battletoad Pimple, and his default color 3 is the closest resemblance to the third Battletoad, Zitz. *Rash was announced as the first character for Season 3 and occupies the fourth slot in the game. *Rash's Big Bad Boot as a linker is similar to the traditional Ukrainian hopak, also known as the "Russian Cossack" dance. *The title of his Instinct Mode is a reference to the infamous level of the same name. *If Rash uses his Wicked Tongue to devour Eagle's arrows as they are shot, then they are gone permanently throughout the entire match. Gallery - Battletoads = Battletoads-title.PNG|From left to right: Pimple (the muscle), Zitz (the leader), and of course, Rash (the class clown) Rash-oldschool-battletoads.png }} Category:Characters Category:Killer Instinct 2013 Characters Category:Male Characters Category:Good Characters Category:Guest Characters Category:Minor Characters Category:Non-Canon Characters Category:Non-Human Characters